2013.06.06 - Jon's Convenience Store
It's after dusk, the last rays of light fading in a smoky haze over the horizon. The street lights -- those that actually work -- have come on, but lend only a dim, amber reflection to the rust and grunge that is the dilapidated area's usual hue. In the distance, a patrol car's siren can be heard, but that's such a common sound it registers as little more than part of the usual background. The late night convenience store is still open across the street from a dilapidated low rise that's best days are well behind it. The convenience will be open until 10pm. Its neon sign flickers on and off uncertainly, however. The shop beside it, a poor dry cleaners that doesn't see nearly enough service to appear as anything more than what it is -- a front for a laundry operation of a different sort -- closed its doors at 6pm. A pair of young men cross the street at an ambling pace, the swagger of overstated bravado in their lanky steps. They make their way into the convenience store and begin to wander slowly up and down its aisles, ostensibly browsing the stock. It's been a long day, and 157 has...not actually managed to find something to eat yet. Or rather, he hasn't thought of it until now. So it is that he's arrived at the convenience store--he entered mostly just to see what it was since so many other things were closed, but upon ending up in one of the food aisles, he recalled that he hadn't yet retrieved energy sources for the day. Thus, the odd, long-haired, robed youth is standing in front of a display of chips, staring at the wide variety of brands, motionless but for his eyes moving back and forth across the rows and his slow breathing. He pays no attention to the men entering the store, continuing his study. A low rise apartment with its best days behind it is just the perfect place for someone with no steady job, and no existing identity for that matter, to find an affordable bed that is not under a bridge. The fact that there is a convenience store across the street is a bonus, even if almost nothing they sell is actually on Patrick's regular diet. Speaking of Patrick, the well built young man is in the middle of the small store holding a pair of small bags of chips, one in each hand. The chips, one Wasabi Apple and the other Loaded Baked Potato, are both stared at in equal measure with curiosity and horror. He is trying to decide which he will buy, and he is only getting once despite the fact that he could get both for a dollar, for his one small treat this week when he notices the pair of young men enter the store. Even though he does not have the precognitive warning system of Spider Man his 'Spider Senses' go off as they move through the store. Then again, most people in Gotham that are not showing any signs of obvious fear give him that reaction. Finishing up at the Rec Center, Jynn runs upstairs to his apartment which is basically the third floor of the rec center. Looking on the table he finds a junk food list. The things people need at certain hours of the day. But the junk on the list is only at one store and well it's not in the best parts of town, Jynn honestly didn't care. He's used to being in the bad places, honestly to him there isn't anything to be afraid of right? Shaking his head, he walks out of his place, locking up before heading down the stairs that lead out to the back part of the rec center. Locking up there as well, Jynn begins heading to the convenience store. The robed boy earns a couple of snickers from the hoods, and they elbow each other and point him out. Patrick is, perhaps, given a bit more of an evaluating glance, but in the end, he's just one man. And, judging from his choice in chips, they don't figure he's all that much of a threat. So, in the tradition of stupid street thugs everywhere, as they approach the counter, they pull hoods and masks up over their faces and pull out weapons. "Okay. Everyone on the floor, now, an' nobody gets hurt!" The small Korean man behind the counter stumbles back in surprise, falling back against his stool and slapping his hand down on a corner of the counter. His thumb catches the underside of it, steadying himself as his grips it. "Hey!" he protests. "No! Not in my store! No good stuff here for you!" Halfway across the downtown core, a little red light appears on a map of the city displayed on a monitor on a console in the middle of the penthouse suite of the old Clocktower. Barbara Gordon turns toward it, distracted from the article she was reading by its flashing. She has a towel in her hands, as she sits there, and is in the middle of drying her hair. "Jon..." she says softly, noting where that red light flashes. "Hang on, old man." Wrapping her hair in a terry cloth turban, she starts making a quick survey of the area. Who does she have... or know... in that area that could help? None of her usual operatives are out that way. Her lips thin in thought. Then, however, her ears rise as street cams show her a familiar figure ambling down the block. Keying in Jynn's cell number, she flips her Oracle voice on and rigs her headset to hang on her ears and across the back of her neck so she can talk. A little awkward, but she can fix it in a moment. The number rings through to the young man... she just hopes he picks up before he reaches whatever his destination may be. 157 almost doesn't seem to register the beginnings of the robbery, but finally he does actually slowly turn his head to look at the robbers. "Analysis: Illegal activity: robbery. High probability of appearance of security forces designated 'police' or 'superheroes' to counter threat. Priority observation target. This unit will observe from safe position." All spoken with slow, even monotone. He looks back to the shelf, and steps up to it, bracing his big, heavy book against it for a moment to take a bag of sour cream and onion chips from the shelf, then holds the book with both arms again as he grips the bag of chips in one hand. And then, he turns to start for the door, clearly fully disregarding both the demands of the criminals and the general expectation that one pay for merchandise. Patrick cocks his head to the side as the thugs pull down masks and pull out weapons. If he were the type of person to curse he might do so, not because he is getting caught in the crime but because neither thug is close enough to him, or in a decent position, for him to step in and take them on before they could get a shot off. Sure the odds that their marksmanship is so bad that they will miss him is more than acceptable enough to risk himself, but they would probably hit the strange civilian in the robe and that is a less than optimal outcome. It is as he makes his decision to play dumb and scared till one of the thugs comes closer that he hears 157 speak and decides a different set of tactics might work. Patrick waits for the thugs to react to the spikey haired guy in the robe, making a note later when he has to steal or remove any security system video from the store to make a copy of the bits with him to see if he can determine if he is an android or something else later. Once he is sure that all attention is on 157 his clothes shimmer and change. Instead of the the auburn haired young man that was standing there before there is suddenly a man in a crimson and gold Spiderman like costume who quickly jumps upwards his right hand brushing the ceiling while he activates the wall crawling abilities in the suit so he can swing up onto the ceiling. While he is doing that his left arm whips outwards and *thwip* sends a small globule of webbing at the gun of the nearest of the thugs. "You have exactly twenty seconds to stand down and allow yourselves to be taken into custody by the proper authorities." Looks like 157 was right about the probability of superheroes showing up. Jynn stretches out a bit as he walks down the street, it isn't a bad night to be walking though he does feel he needs to get some transportation. Smirking a little to himself, Jynn shoves his hands into his pockets, but it's at that time his phone begins to ring. Taking out his iPhone 5, he answers, "Hello." he says not really checking the number. Not many people have his number and those who do know not to give it out. Still walking not really noticing much going on in the store from where he is, but Jynn is getting closer. Thinking it may be some of his friends wanting to hang out, he still waits to see who answers on the other end. "Jynn Kisaragi," the digitized androgynous voice on the other end of the phone replies. "My name is Oracle. I wish I had time to give you my references, but I'm afraid you'll simply have to trust me when I say I have worked with both Superman and Batman. And I require your assistance. There is a convenience store at the end of the block. Two armed men are attempting to rob it. There are three others in the store -- its owner and..." she glances to the screen, now, tapping in to Jon's grainy surveillance footage and her voice pauses. Yewes?!? Oh, shit... And then there's the guy that turned into... huh... a web-slinger? She takes a deep breath and returns to the call. "A young autistic boy." It's the easiest way to explain 157. "The third man appears to be a costumed vigilante and is already intercepting the gunmen. If you would, however, I'd appreciate it if you could get the boy to safety." While she tries to see if !Spidey has a comfreq she can hack into... "Just... be aware his is eccentric and you should not force him against his will. You may need to find an alternative method of maintaining his safety." Thus says the voice of experience. The thugs, of course, are completely startled by the webbing that fouls up at least one of their guns. "Whaugh! What the hell, man! Ain't no Spider-Man in Gotham!" A Bat, he might have expected. A web-slinger? Not so much. His buddy, though, rushes around the counter and points his gun right at the shopkeep. "Let 'im go," he says to !Spidey, his gun shaking as he aims it at the Korean man, who stands with his hands up in the air, glancing nervously between the gunman and the surveillance camera. "Or Imma shoot 'im!" Then, to the shopkeep, "You! Open the cash drawer. Dump it into a bag..." No one in the store pays much attention to the robed boy. He doesn't register on the gunmen's threat radar and the shopkeep is preoccupied with the gun in his face. 157 stands near the door, now, but pauses as the action begins. "Priority observation target detected." He looks up at the web-slinger. "Analysis: Present subject differs from subject previously observed. Analysis: High probability situation will be resolved before this unit prepares observation aid. This unit will observe from present location." He looks slowly over at the thugs. "Notification: Continuation of illegal activity not recommended. Subject designated 'super-hero' displays superior force and capability to disable weaponry of subjects designated 'criminals'." He looks to the shopkeeper, then. "Alert: Subject in danger. Analysis: Subject of low value as observation target. Disregarding." And he just looks back to the superhero again. The Iron Spider does not stay on the ceiling long. Once he has one gun gummed up he is launching himself into the aisle next to the one he had been in with a quick tight flip so that he ends up on his feet. As he hits the ground the crimson clad spider vanishes while he activates his stealth mode. "I would advise against using lethal force. You are only facing armed robbery charges at present. The local courts appear overwhelmed enough that a plea bargain has a high chance of success if you turn yourselves in now. The murder of a civilian would change that, and greatly annoy me." His voice, or not his voice but one that is being digitally altered in a way that is not overly obvious and will make sure that most computer analysis would prevent it from being matched to his real voice, floats out of the thin air as he takes a second to move closer to the still armed thug silently. "I am not friendly enough to be Spider-Man. Five seconds remaining." Blinking, who the hell is this Oracle and how the they hack his phone. But as he is about to ask this person this, he stops when it tells him they've worked with Superman and Batman. But then again they could be messing with him, though seriously why? Slowing his pace as he nears the store, and as he is given a sitrep of the situation, Jynn finds himself nodding his head a little bit and moving across the street quickly and moving up to the edge of the door quietly. At the mention of a Spider-Man, he blinks and mouths 'What the fu...' he shakes his head. He needs to get to this autistic kid and get him out of there. Fighting wouldn't help him and as the gunmen holds up the old man, Jynn quickly slips into the store, careful not to open the door to wide to set off the chime system, which would alert everyone. Once in, he moves towards the back keeping low and quiet as he begins his search for 157. Pinging off cell towers in the area and available satfeeds, Oracle gets a fix on the man in the Spider suit. He vanishes off the surveillance feed, and the gunman looks around in a panic, which tells her it's not just a digital glitch. Establishing his location from the comfeed transmissions coming off the suit, she's surprised when her analysis throws a Stark tech algorithm back at her. That's something she knows just how to access... "Where'd he go?" one gunman says to the other, who is trying to scrape webbing off his tangled hands. "I dunno, man," the other mook replies, jumping about as he wrestles with the webbing. His voice high and panicked. "Who cares? You said this'd be easy! But, fuck that. Let's just get outta here!" His buddy starts backing away from the counter, looking around in his own panic. "Nice trick," Oracle's digital voice says into the Iron Spider's ear, now. "Do you have JARVIS on board, too, or is this a completely different sort of prototype? Mr. Stark didn't mention he was making a suit capable of imitating Spider-Man," the androgynous voice notes. It takes on a slightly harder edge, however. "Regardless, I will warn you right now: Apprehend those mooks, by all means. But do not use lethal force. Not in my city. Not if you expect to continue to operate here without censure." Babs watches Jon's camera feed and notes Yewes' position... and Jynn's entrance. She keeps her eye on them, but there's not a lot she can do for them, just now. 157 watches all this with...no reaction, as one probably would have expected by now. Who knows if he's even noticed Jynn--he's not paying him any attention if he did. As the crooks start looking like they're going to run, though... "Alert: Subjects designated 'criminals' in retreat. Analysis: Situation will resolve without chance to gather observational data on subject designated 'super-hero'. Preventing escape." Suddenly, he speaks rapidly--numbers, mathematics, and words in some unknown language--and after a few moments of this, there's a flash and a sucking sound, and two holes in space-time appear. The entry hole rests in front of the door that would ordinarily be used to exit the building, and is large enough to cover the door entirely. The exit comes out right in front of the counter...thus, anyone who runs for the door is just going to end up back in front of the counter. "Demonstration required: Methodology by which super-hero subdues threat." Iron Spider is surprised, a lot, by the sudden voice. He has not had anyone communicating through his suit with him since he ended up in this reality and was not expecting it to happen again. Using the suits com systems only so that only Oracle can hear him he responds. //I do not have authorization for lethal force, and no way to receive it. You have no reason to worry that I may choose to use such methods.// The mook that still can use his gun gets all of the Iron Spider's attention for now. Invisible and quite as the best training available and the best Starktech stealth systems can make him he ends up in front of the counter as his internal countdown on the time he gave the thugs to surrender hits zero. He jumps over the counter becoming visible again only as he sweeps one hand at the arm the man is holding the gun in to make sure it is not pointing at anyone and striking out with his other hand aimed at his nose with the heal of his palm. "Times up." The portal at the door is noted thanks to the suits sensors and HUD but ignored for now as an added message is sent to Oracle. //Your Mister Stark did not build this suit. The only Jarvis I know of is the elderly British man who works as Mister Stark's butler.// Jynn slows and turns around making sure to double check the isle he is and and as he does he sees the person he was supposed to be getting to safety who is right near the door. 'Shit.' he says more to himself. He nearly rounded the corner before noticing the guy. Shaking his head at what he is wearing and not knowing what he is doing, Jynn quickly makes his way towards the front door but as he does, he hears 157 speaking, all of it math and numbers then the two holes appears. "What the fuck....!' he says as he manages to keep from walking right into the nearest hole. Interesting... "I take it you're from... out of state," Oracle says to the Iron Spider, now. It doesn't take much effort, really, for him to take down the mook. He's a two-bit hood at best, and no threat to a guy in a super suit. "As in, this particular state of reality?" Girl's not stupid. She's also been dealing with a lot of weird temporal anomalies popping up, recently. Her detection grid's kinda been going nuts. It's why she and Tony started working together in the first place, actually. "Welcome to Gotham." A beat. "My name is Oracle, by the way..." The mook swings his gun around as the Iron Spider surprises him. Jon hits the floor in a panic. The gun goes off, the bullet embedding harmlessly in the ceiling half the store away. But, he's disarmed quickly after that, both he and his buddy easy round-ups, now. Of course, Jynn pops out near the counter, which puts him close enough to grab the first of the two mooks -- the one with webbing on his hands -- leaving !Spidey to wrap up the last one neat as a tuck. "Query: What the fuck. Probable meaning: Request for explanation of source of anomalies designated 'portals'," 157 says, as he observes the now-reappeared Spider kicking butt. "Answer: This unit utilized space-time manipulation to link points designated 'door' and 'counter'." There's a gunshot! There's a disarm! There's a smack to the nose! 157 just keeps observing, showing no real reaction to any of it but also not missing a moment of it. "Subjects designated 'criminals' of insufficient skill to provide valuable data," he finally says. Iron Spider does not wait to see if the the broken nose likely to result form his palm strike is going to work before he brings both hands in hard on the sides of his head with both hands cupped so that if he catches his ears right he will probably bust at least one of his ear drums if the mook does nothing to prevent the hits from landing. If that works he will attempt to grab the man by the neck and toss him over the counter into the store where there is more room to work before following him. Once on the other side of the counter again he looks at the other mook to see his reactions before doing anything more. //You may call me Iron Spider as my original designation is ...unavailable.// he responds to Oracle while working. Despite the minimal exercise that taking down the mooks is providing his voice is showing no sings of physical exorcise or emotional connection to the vents around him. //You are correct, I am from another reality. Given your ability to access my suit's systems without triggering a warning I must ask if you are an employee of this world's Tony Stark or of SHIELD?// Well sometimes the Oh Shit factor helps and right now with one of the webbed gunmen standing nearby, Jynn moves up behind him and just elbows him in the back of the head knocking the guy out cold with minimum force. Looking at him then his partner that Iron Spider just took down, Jynn doesn't recognize them at all. Sighing a little bit and looking at the flash of light near the door and counter, "Umm...if you made those, you can stop, these two aren't going anywhere and honestly I don't need to be around went he cops come." he says as he makes himself known now that he has taken out the first gunman. "Neither," Oracle responds to !Spidey. "Although Mr. Stark and I work closely together on several projects, I am formally associated with the Justice League of America." Wow. She's never gotten to use those credentials, before. But, since she's neither an SI or SHIELD employee, going with the next best (big) thing, seems wise with this guy. The mook, however, is entirely uncoordinated. And, while he does make an effort to protect his head -- thus avoiding permanent deafness of any sort -- he's pitched over the counter with minimal fuss, to land on his back amidst the wreckage of a display. "Hey!" Jon protests, popping his head up from behind the counter. "You break it, you bought it!" The gunman Jynn took out collapses in a far less destructive heap than his buddy, the pair of them nearly side by side, now, and completely unconscious. Oracle hears the crimson eyed fellow's words through Iron Spider's pick ups. "I suggest you both make yourself scarce, unless you feel like answering an hour or three of questions. And, you might suggest to the blond kid, on your way out, that he do the same. Mr. Jon will provide an adequate statement for the arresting officers, I'm sure." She'd say the same thing to Jynn, of course, but that would require telephoning him again, which she doesn't want to do just right now. Though, you can be sure she'll call him later to make sure he has her thanks. And, maybe, answer a couple of his questions. Maybe. The Iron Spider winces a little inside of his mask at the destroyed display. He was off just a little bit with that throw, going to have to work on that. He turns to the shop keeper and gives him an appropriately contrite small bow. "My apologies sir." He says before making a mental note to find the cash to pay back the man for the damage. He turns to the others and says, "The Authorities are on the way. If you wish to avoid them now would be the time to leave." That said, he turns on the stealth systems and vanishes again. To Oracle he sends the message, //I see. I shall have to research who the Justice League is then.// Category:Log